Curtain stretcher



NOV. 17, 1931. W J., CARTER, JR 1,832,765

CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed Aug. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-.Sheet l NOV. 17, 1931.w, 1 CARTER, JR 1,832,765

CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed Ag. le, 1929` 2 sneets-snee1 2 A I l Il .9 5J 5414 I5 Il (Il 51-/ lsf l L Fig: 5

ai/l5 gwuento/o W J Carien/ Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAMJ'. CARTER, JR., 0F AKRON, OI-IIO CURTAIN STRETCIVIER Application led.August 16, 1929.V Serial No. 386,317.

This invention relates to frames for hold.- ing curtains and other sheetmaterial in stretched condition and vit has among its objects to providesimplev and inexpensive means of an improved character for holding thepin rails securely in squared relation, for readily adjusting the frameas to height and breadth, for bracing the 'transverse rails and forsupporting the frame in an upright position,

vOf the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partlybroken away, showing a stretcher frame embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation oi the lower portion, partly in section onthe line 22 of Fig. 1. i y

F ig.'3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the brackets for connecting thelower transverse rail with the side rails,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation, partly broken away, of one of theupper corners and upper middle portion of the frame.

Fig. 6 is an edge view taken from the plane 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the top corner brackets.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing one of the top rails and the bracebar together with the bracket connectingvthem.

Fig 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 5.

The stretcher frame includes a pair of upright side rails or pin bars10, 10 and upper and lower transverse or horizontal pin bars or rails11, 12, leach of Which'is provided with a row of pointedpins 13 forimpaling the edges of the curtain or other article to be stretched anddried on the frame', these pins being inclined slightly outward asindicated in Fig. 2 and being mounted on a pin ledge 14 formed on eachofthe bars. The wood for all of these rails is made of uniform sectionso as to be usable in either the side or the transverse rails and eachone has a rectangular clamping rib 15 located on the front side at itsouteredge for purposes hereinafter referred to. v

'The lowerend of each siderail 10 is provided with a supporting foot 16'in the form of a rectangular wooden block, vertically grooved at 17 onone face to receive the Wider edge of the rail 10, and detachablysecured thereto by means vof a horizontal clamping bolt 18 whose stempasses through a hole bored in the foot block and is provided with aright-angled clamping jaw 19 at one end, taking over the inner face ofthe rib 15 and screw-threaded at its opposite end to receive a wing' nut20 which bears on a washer 21 on the outer face of the foot block.Thereby I provide a detachable support of great simplicity andeffectiveness for maintaining the frame in an upright position.

The upper transverse rail 11 is or may be fastened at a-fixed heightover the top eX- tremities of the side rails 10 but transverselyslidable with reference thereto for changing the width of the frame,while the lower transverse rail 12 is slidable both vertically andtransversely and the adjustment for heightis performed solely by movingsaid rail 12 up or down on the side rails. This provides a stifferconstruction 'than when bh horizontal rails are vertically adjusta e.

At the lower corners I connect the lower transverse rail 12 with theside rails 10 by a simple form of bracket 22, which maybe stamped andbent to shape out of a single pieceof sheet metal, said bracket havingdiagonal oblique jaws23, 24 connected by a cross member 25 andadapted tobe clamped against the rails 12 and 10 respectively by means of acarriage bolt 26 passing through a squared hole 27 inthe jaw 24 and around hole 28 in the jaw 23 and having a wing nut 29 which bears againstthe front jaw 23as indicated in Fig. 2. The front jaw 23 is eX- tendedhorizontally in a channel member 30 having' a front plate and top andbottom flanges 31, 32 to embrace the clamping rib 15 of bar 12 on threesides. Thus the rail 12 is horizontally adjustable through the chan-`the'side rail 10 and clamped in both adjustments by the bolt 26 whichpasses under the transverse rail 12 and on the outer side of the siderail 10.

For fastening the top rail 11 over the upper extremities of the siderails 10, I provide the corner brackets 33 shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7and consisting` of a unitary bracket body adapted to be stamped and bentto shape out of a single piece of sheet metal, said bracket including alower channel portion 34 having a rear web and two side flanges 35, 36respectively of greater and less width for engaging the outside wideredge and the inside narrower edge of the side rail 10; and an uppertransverse channeled portion 37 for slidably embracing the top rail 11,the channel being formed by the back web, the upper edges of the flanges35, 36 an-d an overhanging horizontal flange 38 for engaging the topedge of the rail 11. The bracket 33 is iiXedly attached to the upper endof rail 10 by means of a bolt 39 passing through a hole in the rail andthrough a hole 40 in the web ol the bracket. For adjustably clamping thebracket 33 to the top rail 11, I provide a` vertical bolt 41 passingthrough holes 42 in the flange 3S and 43 in a U-shaped boss memberriveted to said flange adjacent its front edge, the stem of said bolthaving a clamping jaw 45 at its lower end taking under the lower edge ofthe clamping rib 15 on the rail 11 and having on its upper end a wingnut 145 which bears against a nut rest formed b v the middle upperportion of boss member 44. This construction provides an exceptionallyrigid coi'- ner connection by reason of the overlying relation of therail 11 to the end face of the rail 10 and the described channelconstruction ofthe bracket, said connection however being of a` simpleand inexpensive character and permitting transverse adjustmentfor width.

Each of the transverse rails 11 and 12 is -made in a plurality ofaligned sections 11,

12"', two or more in number, accordingl to the desired width of theframe for curtains of the maximum length to be handled thereby. The endsof the sections of each rail are connected by a splicing bracket 46 madeof a single piece of sheet metal bent to form vertical and horizontalflanges 47, 48 to embrace the rail 11 on the rear and top sides thereof.By omitting a lower horizontal flange on said bracket, I avoid theeffects of changes in width of the rails 11 caused by a greater or lessdegree of dryness of the wood. Bracket 46 is secured to the railsections 11 or 12L by means of diagonal bolts 49 passing through holesin the rail and bracket and provided with Wing nuts 50 at their upperends abutting against nut rests at the corner line between the danges 47and 4S. This provides a splice of ample rigidity. especially when usedin connection with corner joints of the character described between therails 10 and 11, including brackets such as 33.

I further provide an intermediate brace bar 51 connecting the top andbottom pin rails 11 and 12 at the joints between the sections of saidrails and fasten this brace bar to the brackets 46 in a verticallyslidable manner by means of a rectangular clamping member 52 riveted at522L at the back oi each bracket 46 and provided with a clamping bolt 53whose stem is in non-turning relation to one of the jaws of member 52.To counteract rocking motion of brace bar 51 with reference to thebracket 46 I provide rearwardly-extending ears 54 struck out of thelnetal of the flange 47 and embracing the sides of the brace bar betweenthem as indicated in Figs. 5 and 8.

From the aboveI description the inode of construction and adjustment ofmy improved stretcher fra-ine will be evident7 the top rail 11 beingfixedly held as to vertical movement on the side rails 10 in a rigidsquared relation thereto. Adjustments for height are performed bylooseningl the brackets and sliding the bottom rail 12 up or down whileadjustments for width are performed by loosening said brackets 22 andthe clamping bolts 41 of the upper brackets and reclamping the bracketsat the new adjustments. The frame may be readily taken apart and packedin a small compass for shipment or storage.

It will be understood that the above described embodimentmay bevariously modified within the scope of my invention as defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A stretcher frame including a. side pin rail having a clamping riband a pin ledge therealong projecting inwardly therefrom, and asupporting foot block having a bolt provided with a jaw in clampingengagement with said rib and detachably securing the foot block inposition on the side pin rail.

2. A stretcher frame including a side pin `ail having a clamping tace,and a supporting foot block grooved to receive an edge of said railopposite said clamping face.l and said block provided with a boltextending therethrough and across said rail, said bolt having a clampingjaw engaging said clamping face.

3. A stretcher frame including a side pin rail having aforwardly-projecting clamping rib forming part of its wider edge and aninner pin rail forming part of its narrower edge, a supporting footblock grooved to receive the wider edge of said rail, and a bolt passingthrough said block and having av clamping jaw taking over the inner faceof said rib.

4. A stretcher frame including side and transverse pin rails relativelyadjustable to vary the height and width of the frame and 'formed withforwardly-projecting clamping ribs and inner pin ledges, a cornerbracket slidingly embracing the side- 'ail clamping rib, said brackethaving a channel slidingly cluding a pair ofjaws and a clamping bolt jwhich passes across the side. rail on the outer side thereof.

5. A stretcher-frame corner bracket comprising a front web forming afront clamping jaw and provided with an oblique extension having channelflanges, and a rear jaw connected with said front jaw by a cross member,said jaws being formed with bolt holes. i

6. A stretcher frame including a side pin rail, a transverse pin railoverlying the upper end of said side rail, and a channeled cornerbracket embracing and lixedly secured to said side rail and having meanssecured thereon and carried thereby for clamping said transverseA railat different width adjustments, said side pin rail movable as a unitwith said corner bracket and clamping means secured thereto along saidtransverse rail.

7. A stretcher frame including a side pin rail, a transverse pin railoverlying its upper end and substantially in the plane of said side pinrail and having an upper clamping rib and a pin ledge below said rib,and a corner bracket having a lower channeled portion embracing andbolted through the side rail and an upper clamping portion provided witha front clamping bolt having a jaw engaging the under side of saidclamping rib. l

8. A top corner bracket for stretcher frames comprising a unitarybracket body formed with a lower, three-sided, longitudinal rail channelopen in front and having a bolt hole in its rear wall, and a transverserail channel surmounting said longitudinal channel and including anupper flange provided with a clamping-bolt guide and nut rest.

9. A stretcher frame comprising a pair of side pin rails, a transversepin rail including two aligned sections, a splicing Vbracket connectingsaid sections and having flanges located at the back and upper sidesthereof, and bolts extending diagonally through said sections andbrackets and having nuts at the corner line of said anges.

l0. A combined splicing and brace bracket for stretcher frames, saidbracket having angularly-related flanges for engaging the rear and edgefaces of aligned pin-rail sections and being formed with bolt-receivingholes, and a brace-bar receiving and clamping member projectingrearwardly from the rear flange, said clamping member comprising spacedjaws and a clamping bolt extending between and connecting the jawsadjacent the outer ends thereof.

11. A combined splicing and brace bracket for stretcher frames, saidbracket having angularly related rear and edge flanges, arearwardly-projecting brace-bar clamping member riveted to said rearflange, and barreceiving ears formed on the rear iange inA line withsaid member.

12. A stretched frame corner bracket embodying a U-shape clamp member'comprising' spaced jaws connected at one end by a cross member, aclamping bolt extending between and transversely through said jawsadjacent said cross member, and one of said jaws provided at its freeend with an oblique extension having inwardly extended channel formingflanges.

13. A top corner bracket for stretcher frames comprising a bracket bodyformed with a lower longitudinal frame rail receiving channel, atransverse rail channel above said longitudinal channel including anupper flange provided with a clamping bolt guide, and a clamping boltmounted insaid guide disposed longitudinally of said longitudinalchannel and terminating in a frame rail engaging jaw.

14. A stretcher frame comprising a pair of side pin rails and upper andlower transverse pin rails connected in squared relation,

the upper rail being fastened over the top extremities and insubstantially the plane of the side rails, the lower rail beingadjustable up and down on the side rails, corner brackets engaging thejoined transverse and side rails,

respectively, clamping means carried by each bracket to releasablyengage and secure the adjacent rails together, the side rails beingfreely movable and adjustable toward and from each other on thetransverse rails, and said corner brackets and clamping means inreleased position remaining in normal rail engaging positions duringadjusting Inovements of both the side and transverse rails.

In witness whereof1 I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of August,1929.

WILLIAM J. CARTER, JR.

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